Update: So it turns out optioning Golson to the minors may be a sign that he will make the team. The problem is that Girardi did not see him getting enough at bats in the major league camp to get ready for the season so they sent him to the minors so he can get more at bats.
“Goley is a guy that we would definitely consider if Curtis is down,” Girardi said. “We want him to go get some at-bats. He’s been kind of behind and I don’t want him getting one at-bat (per game) here.”
Original post: Via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com:
The Yankees have trimmed their roster by seven, reducing the number of players in camp to 37.
New York optioned outfielder Greg Golson, infielder Brandon Laird and infielder Kevin Russo to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, while also optioning outfielder Melky Mesa to Double-A Trenton…
…The Yankees also reassigned catcher Jose Gil, outfielder Jordan Parraz and infielder Jorge Vazquez to Minor League camp.
It certainly come as a surprise that Golson was cut considering Granderson might not start the season with the team. This doesn’t mean he can’t make the team, but this does make it unlikely. I thought he had an advantage over Justin Maxwell as the Yankees have seen a lot more of Golson. Colin Curtis is also still in camp and could break camp with the team. They could be considering Ramiro Pena too.
Laird isn’t so much of a surprise to be cut. He had a chance to make the team out of spring, but it was always a small one and it was practically nonexistent after Eric Chavez performed so well this spring. There seemed to have been a chance that it could have been him as the fifth outfielder, but his experience in the outfield is minimal at this point.
None of the other cuts were really of much surprise. Vazquez has had a strong spring, but never really had much of a shot to make the team as his bat is unlikely to stay that hot and his defense is poor at first and third, two positions the Yankees are fine depth-wise.